BOSTON – The unemployment rate for New England fell 0.2 percentage points year over year in February to 7 percent, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced Friday.

The jobless rate in New England, which is one of nine geographic divisions across the United States, was below the national average of 7.7 percent for the month.

Of the six New England states, Vermont had the lowest jobless in February rate at 4.7 percent, not seasonally adjusted. Following Vermont were New Hampshire at 6.1 percent and Massachusetts at 6.8 percent, not seasonally adjusted. Maine at 8.2 percent, Connecticut at 8.4 percent and Rhode Island at 9.8 percent were all above the national average.

Of the nine geographic divisions in the U.S., the Pacific division reported the highest jobless rate at 9.1 percent, and the West North Central division registered the lowest rate at 5.5 percent.

The Northeast region, which includes the six New England states as well as New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, had a jobless rate of 8.1 percent in February, an increase of one-tenth of a percentage point from February 2012.

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